Diamonds are forever with this stylish crime thriller.

Later during the new crime thriller “Crime 101,” there’s a conversation between two men about their favorite Steve McQueen films. One says: “Bullitt” because of the car chases, and the other says “The Thomas Crown Affair” because the lead is a thief. I don’t want to give out any names of this particular scene, but I can say that this is another entertaining movie set in California. And why not? We’ve had “Chinatown,” “Heat,” “Bullitt,” “Dirty Harry,” “LA Confidential,” “To Live and Die in LA,” the “Lethal Weapon” movies, “Drive,” and my all time favorite “Pulp Fiction.” And the list goes on and on.

There’s a lot of stars in “Crime 101,” and under the guidance of Bart Layton (“The Imposters,” “American Animals”), who based it on Don Winslow’s book. And they all provide some consistency and patience, and it does take a while for us to adjust to their realities, but it’s all worth it in the end.

There’s Chris Hemsworth as a diamond thief named Mike Davis, who doesn’t hurt his victims, and confuses the police with his escapes. Working by the 101 freeway, he starts loses his nerve after a recent heist when a youngster with a gun nearly shoots him. Which is why his boss nicknamed Money (Nick Nolte) has a younger criminal named Ormon (Barry Keoghan) take over a particular heist for him.

There’s also Mark Ruffalo as a weary detective named Lou Lubesnick, who is often ridiculed by his boss (Matthew Del Negro) because of his supposedly insufficient hunches on the jewel heists. His partner Tillman (Corey Hawkins) even comments that he’s defended him, while wanting a step-up in his career. And you better believe his ex-wife (Jennifer Jason Leigh) has him moving out. But Lou might have the hunches he needs after all.

And there’s Halle Berry as an insurance broker named Sharon Colvin, who is trying to score a deal with the cocky and wealthy Steven Monroe (Tate Donovan) on his upcoming wedding, while struggling to get a good night sleep (Sleep Score: 27%) and a promotion from her ageist boss Mark (Paul Adelstein). And through it all, she crosses paths with Mike and Lou. And that’s two months in a row when a woman gets insulted by her younger boss, and has the nerve to tell him off. As Berry in “Crime 101” and Rachel McAdams in “Send Help” should.

Meanwhile, Mike starts seeing a woman named Maya (Monica Barbaro) after a fender bender, but of course, she has to be suspicious because he has no pictures of his family and vaguely describes his job title to her. You know she’s about to walk out of his life with that stern look on her face. And you know he’s going to be back in full Mike Davis mode regarding Ormon.

Last month, I liked the Ben Affleck-Matt Damon crime thriller “The Rip,” which was set in Miami, but was just as entertaining as it would be if was an LA movie. But I enjoyed “Crime 101” even more for the way it pushes all these stars with the right productivity and style. Hemsworth, Ruffalo, Keoghan, Berry, Donovan, and Barbaro all have what it takes to play characters of the genre’s standards, and keep us watching. And I’m glad this movie doesn’t overexploit the “Avengers” stars Hemsworth and Ruffalo to try to bring movie goers in. They know how to play characters outside their MCU personas, and their scenes together here are played with charisma and attitude.

We have a strong sense of nostalgia within this film noir-the LA setting, the Steve McQueen references I’ve mentioned, and the characters who have their convictions. We’re never going to complain about how many movies are represented in this manner. And I certainly didn’t with “Crime 101.” I’m just surprised Steven Soderbergh had nothing to do with this stylish, smart, and ultra cool movie.